


Volunteer Work

by kankokujinpoi



Category: GOT7
Genre: Cancer, Gen, Hospitals, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kankokujinpoi/pseuds/kankokujinpoi
Summary: Mark volunteers at the Hospital for Summer credit. He's introduced into a world he's not quite prepared for, but he has a great guide to help him through it.
Relationships: Choi Youngjae/Im Jaebum | JB, Park Jinyoung/Mark Tuan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been years since I've written anything. I hope to continue this so it might evolve into something more than just the little blip it is now. Thanks for clicking on my story! Please let me know what you think.

Mark is nervous. 

He takes a seat in the waiting room lobby after checking in with the nurse. 

Hospitals are not his thing. Hospitals were never his thing. He remembers when his sister broke her arm and his family had to sit in a waiting room similar to the one he's sitting in now for hours. The silence was deafening, feeling everyone's dread, the tension. Everything about it is unsettling. Cold, stark, sterile. Definitely not where Mark saw himself spending his summer break two days a week.

“First time volunteering?” A warm voice snaps Mark out of his memory. He looks up to see a boy about his age a sitting a few chairs down. He's dressed in a casual button down and linen pants. Much nicer than the jeans and t-shirt Mark is wearing. He has a book in his hands and a bag at his feet. Mark thinks he must be a returning volunteer with how prepared he looks. 

“Is it that obvious?” Mark asks, trying not to let his nerves show in his voice. 

“We don't have many new volunteers, here,” the boy says as closes his book and runs a hand through his dark hair. He stretches as if he's been sitting for a while. The only volunteer shift starts earlier in the day and ends early afternoon. Mark wasn't sure how many other volunteers to expect. He's never been to this part of the hospital before. He's never really been to any part of the hospital besides the waiting room for his sister all those years ago.

Mark sighs subconsciously. “Yeah, I was actually supposed to volunteer with my friend, but there was only one volunteer spot available,” he grimaces at the memory of Jackson's phone call earlier this morning to break the news. It had been Jackson's idea in the first place to volunteer this summer. Mark happened to sign up before Jackson earning him the last volunteer spot available. 

“Ah, summer credit?” The boy asks, seemingly familiar with university summer programs.

Mark nods, starting to feel a little more comfortable knowing he won't be the only younger volunteer for the next few months. He imagines most people volunteering in such a specific part of the hospital have to have their reasons. Usually personal reasons: a father or mother had it, brother or sister, partner. This is why Mark feels inadequate. His reason is strictly for a university summer credit. He thinks he remembers his mother talking about his great-grandma having it, but she passed away before he was born. Never had the chance to meet her.

Looking at the boy a few chairs down, Mark wonders what personal reason he could have. Or if he's just like Mark. In it for the credit. 

“Everything is a little scary at first, but you'll grow to love it here,” the boy says with a smile, “or, at least as much as someone can love it here,” he covers his mouth as he lets out a small laugh. 

Mark feels himself relax, “I don't really know what to expect...” he trails off hoping the other gets the hint.

“From the patients or the volunteer process?”

Mark hesitates. He hadn't really given much thought about the patients he'll be around. Which now brings on another bigger wave of anxiety. He didn't think there would be much interaction between himself and patients. He expected stocking supply closets and taking the trash out. Clearly there's more interaction than Mark thought. 

“Mostly the volunteer process...” he trails off as he tries to swallow down the new anxiety in his throat.

“Oh it's simple really! A lot of the patients sleep during treatment, but when they are awake they might need something like a snack or drink you can get for them. Even sometimes a smile or a small conversation from a friendly face is helpful.” The boy smiles as if demonstrating to Mark what a friendly face looks like. Mark feels himself matching the smile with his own.

But then for the first time talking with Mark the boy's lips draw in a serious line, “the most important part of volunteering is making sure everyone has a chance to order a lunch,” he says as he holds up a stern finger. “A lot of the patients are here for long periods of time, so making your lunch order round not only ensures patients are well fed, but take one less stressful thing off their plate!” And just like that, the boy's smile is back on, if not brighter than before with eye whiskers to match.

Mark makes a mental note of the importance of lunch orders. Even with more insight he feels very unprepared. It must show on his face because the boy's smile is gone again.

“What's wrong?”

“I'm not so great at small conversations.” Among a thousand other things running through Mark's mind. What if he screws up a lunch order? What if he forgets someone? Grabs them the wrong drink? 

“Nonsense, we're talking just fine. And your face is very friendly.”

“The patients must love you,” Mark says with heated cheeks. He explains quickly after hearing how weird that sounds out loud, “I mean, you know how to make someone feel comfortable, even in a place like this!” Mark motions to the patient area on the other side of the glass doors.

The smile falters a little on the boy's face, but it's back just as quick as it left. So quick that you'd miss it if you weren't paying close attention. Not that Mark was paying close attention to the boy's face or anything. 

“Yeah, well, we all have to make the best of what we've been dealt, right?”

Mark smiles, but can't find the words to respond. He definitely gets the feeling it's more than just a summer credit for the other boy in the waiting room. His heart aches at the thought of the boy's mother or father being affected. Surely it's someone close. 

“Do you know anyone that's gone through cancer treatments before?”

Before Mark can respond the check-in nurse stands from her desk and makes her way to the two of them.

Mark prepares to be briefed on the volunteer process. A part of him hopes he can shadow the dark haired boy for the day. Following him around wouldn't be a bad first day at all.

Before Mark can stand he notices the nurse has stopped directly in front of the other boy. 

He watches as the other holds out his arm for the nurse to fasten a hospital band around his wrist. Mark's eyes widen with realization. 

“Name and date of birth?” the check-in nurse asks.

“Park Jinyoung, 94-09-22.”

“Alright, Jinyoung, enough harassing the new volunteer, come on in,” the nurse scans her badge signaling the glass doors to open into the center. Jinyoung smiles sweetly at the nurse as he throws his bag over one shoulder, book still in hand.

Mark stares in surprise as he watches Jinyoung being escorted into the patient center. As a patient. Not a volunteer like Mark originally thought. 

“Good luck on your first day!” Jinyoung calls back as he passes through the glass doors.


	2. 2.

“Good morning! Would you like to order lunch?”

Such an odd phrase, but Mark's getting the hang of it. Not many people think about lunch this early in the morning. His first day he missed the bulk of the lunch order rounds, but it's nothing too terrifying. 

Ask the initial question, if yes, read the menu for the day. If no, smile and move on. Luckily for Mark he splits this duty with the other volunteer for the day. He takes two sections, they take the other two. A patient can be as quick as the shake of the head, or take so long that Mark would basically have to run through the rest of his patients to make sure the order gets put in on time. 

Good thing it's an easy process to pick up. Mark was still recovering from the shock of Jinyoung being a patient and not a volunteer while the nurse showed Mark around the center two days ago. He was still dazed when the other volunteer showed him the lunch order system. Every time his volunteer partner walked to the next patient chair Mark found himself holding his breath. Ready to face the boy he sat in the waiting room with just an hour prior. 

Mark never crossed paths with the dark haired boy. The volunteer must have already visited his section before Mark joined. 

“Yes, what's on the menu today?” The patient asks while getting their vitals taken, shaking Mark from his memory.

Luckily Mark isn't a squeamish person. He's walked in on patients getting their ports accessed, blood drawn from their arm, and even a patient throwing up. And it's only his second day!

Mark reads the menu to the patient and takes down their selection. He wonders what the chances of running into Jinyoung today are. Is this an every day thing for patients? He hasn't recognized one yet. He's been doing a lot of introductions, so clearly the patients don't know him either. He's not sure if a patient would recognize him after one visit anyway. Some seem to be out of sorts until the end of their stay. 

After the first section of patients Mark's picking up momentum. Gaining confidence and ease. He's never been a very strong communicator, but there's a feeling of calm in the center. Everyone working towards a common goal:

Stay alive.

Mark turns the corner to the last few chairs of his second section. The first has the curtain drawn, but that's not unusual. Each chair is settled inside of a small section of the center in four circular patterns. Each circle, each section, holds about 4 chairs. From what Mark has seen so far there's just enough space for the comfortable patient's chair, an additional chair for a guest, and a counter that is used as the nurses station. A TV hangs on the wall and a curtain is available for privacy for each chair. . All it takes is a small knock and a slight pull back of the curtain.

“Good Morning! Would you--”

“SHH.”

Mark's eyebrows raise and his mouth shuts. He looks to see the patient already sleeping in his chair, round wire-framed glasses sliding off his face. A boy with sharp eyes blocks his view. 

“I-I'm sorry,” Mark lowers his voice. Not that Mark's voice is usually considered loud, but clearly it's too loud for the boy standing in front of him. He clears his throat and tries again in an even smaller voice, “I was just wondering--”

“We don't need lunch.” The boy says coldly and closes the curtain in Mark's face. 

“Oh....kay,” Mark tries to shake off his first bad interaction he's had at the center. He knows he still has a few more patients to visit, so he takes a deep breath and pushes on. 

~

Mark gladly passes the patient and guest in chair 3C while passing out patient lunches. With the curtain still drawn it's easy to let the interaction from this morning roll off his shoulders. Even when it seems patients feel their worst they've never taken it out on Mark. He wonders if as his volunteering goes on he'll run into more cold, rude, people. 

It's understandable, being in such a tense place and situation, but there are definitely better ways to handle it than the boy with the sharp eyes in 3C did. 

After all lunches are handed out Mark has some time to himself. He hears some of the nurses speak at their station and there are a few others speaking with their patients. There are four chairs centered in the middle of the center out in the open. Mark learned they are for patients coming in for a quick blood draw or even a bag of fluids if all chairs are full. These chairs have new patients more frequently than a chair in a section of a circle. Mark keeps an eye on the chairs and the patients in them. He finds that they are the more talkative ones. After each patient leaves it's Mark's job to sanitize the chair for the next patient. 

“Excuse me.” Mark hears a voice behind him. He turns his back from the supply shelf he's stocking and comes face to face with the sleeping patient in chair 3C. His glasses are back in place on his face.

Mark's eyes subconsciously dart, searching for his guest with the sharp eyes. When he's nowhere in sight, Mark speaks to the patient, “hi. Can I get you something?”

“Could I get another warm blanket, please?” The boy seems just as hesitant as Mark. Maybe not hesitant. More like tired. Worn out.

“Sure, no problem. I think we have a few left in the warmer. I can grab you two if you'd like.” 

The boy smiles and Mark swears he's never seen a brighter smile. If this boy's smile is this bright while sick Mark can only imagine how brightly it shined before. 

“Thank you! I'd love two if you can spare them. The rituximab makes me really cold for some reason,” the boy points to the bag of medicine hanging on his IV pole. The bag is pumping into the boy's port on his chest. Mark tries not to stare. 

“No worries, chair 3C right?”

“Yeah! You're pretty good for a new volunteer!” The boy's smile gets even wider and Mark feels any unwarranted resentment for the boy melt away. 

“I'm Mark,” he holds his hand out for a handshake.

“Youngjae,” the boy takes Mark's hand with a firm shake.

“Your hands are cold!” Like stone cold. 

“Weird how this stuff affects everyone a little different,” Youngjae looks up at the bag again, “Oh, Jaebum, there you are.”

Mark turn around to see the sharp-eyed boy. Eyes even sharper than their first encounter. 

“I'm sorry, I just went for a walk,” the boy's voice is much softer than this morning. 

“It's okay, I need to stretch my legs, too. This is Mark, the new volunteer.”

Jaebum bows his head slightly at Mark, but his attention is back on Youngjae, “head back to the chair and I'll grab your blankets from Mark.”

“Nice to meet you Mark! I look forward to seeing you every Thursday!” Youngjae smiles again and starts walking away, pushing his IV pole. 

Mark smiles and waves. His smile slowly fades when he realizes he's left with Jaebum, The boy that shushed him.

The two stare at each other briefly before Mark decides to take the higher road. He starts walking to the blanket warmer knowing Jaebum will follow. He can feel him close on his heels while he walks like he's walked this path a thousand times and not just a handful. 

He pulls out two blankets and holds them out for Jaebum to take. 

Jaebum takes both in his hands a little surprised to have two.

“Youngjae said his medicine makes him cold so I told him I'd give him two warm blankets,” he shrugs, feeling Jaebum's intense stare. 

“Thank you,” Jaebum bows deeper this time.

Just when he thinks Jaebum is going to apologize he turns on his heel and heads towards Youngjae's chair. 

Mark is left with a sour taste in his mouth, but feels good knowing Youngjae will be happy with two blankets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping this will pick up soon. Momentum and content. Thanks for reading!


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